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UEFA officials said afterwards that the pitch had improved overnight after hot air was blown under the covers. The fact the temperature is set to rise above zero in Odessa also gives the governing body hope.

An official from Zorya said: "Everything depends on the weather.

"The pitch is not brilliant at the moment. We are expecting temperatures to be two or three degrees and everything should be okay."

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At the pre-match press conference United boss Jose Mourinho questioned why UEFA allows final group matches to be played in countries where winters hit so hard.

"The pitch is very hard, the pitch is very icy," he said. "I think UEFA know the conditions of the pitch and everybody knows that in mid-December the conditions in Ukraine and Eastern Europe are more difficult.

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"So if UEFA was worried about it, they should change the fixtures and not allow the last fixtures to be played in mid-December.

"If the fifth fixture is the last fixture here, it would be the end of November and not mid-December, so I think that's the problem.

"I think the stadium is beautiful, it's new, it's well taken care of.

"The pitch is the same. They are trying, they are putting some warmth on the top of it, but the pitch is very difficult and people cannot make miracles. Let's hope everything goes well."

It is not the first time United have had problems with a pitch since Mourinho's arrival. In July, the Bird's Nest stadium quagmire cost them a money-spinning pre-season friendly against Manchester City in Beijing.

Much more is at stake in Ukraine given progress is on the line in the Europa League - a competition that sees the winner through to the Champions League.

United are already nine points off the top four in the Premier League, meaning their prospects of reaching the Champions League that way already look slim, but Mourinho says that has not heightened the importance of this competition.